This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to cutting presses.
Cutting presses which comprise an upper platen, a lower platen, and hydraulic piston and cylinder means for moving the upper platen so that the upper platen approaches the lower platen whereby to effect a cutting stroke of the press are well known. An example of such a press is described, for instance, in British patent specification No. 1,035,816. In the operation of such a press, a workpiece is placed on the lower platen and a shaped knife or die is placed on top of the workpiece. The hydraulic piston and cylinder means is then operated so that the upper platen presses the knife or die through the workpiece. The upper platen may be supported above the lower platen on one, two or four columns.
A cutting press is described in British patent specification No. 1,342,585 published Jan. 3, 1974, which comprises an upper platen supported on one column above a lower platen thereof, means for effecting relative movement of approach between the platens whereby to effect a cutting stroke of the press, and stroke control means. The stroke control means comprises stroke terminating means effective to terminate a cutting stroke of the press and stroke setting means for setting the distance of a cutting stroke according to the depth of the cutting die in use. The stroke terminating means comprises a switch and an actuator therefor which is moved as the platens move together, and the stroke setting means is arranged to position the switch at a stroke-terminating position. The stroke setting means comprises a carriage on which the switch is mounted and brake means for holding the carriage against movement on a slideway therefor. The brake means requires an operator to pull the brake means into an off position and maintain it there so that a stroke setting operation of the press may be made to position the switch. In some circumstances, this form of brake means is difficult to operate.